"It was at this hockey party, it had to have been in middle school," Tyler said. "(The golf cart) like ran over my face and I had to go to the hospital. Split my lip, broke my nose, cut my eye. That was the worst for me. I've actually been pretty fortunate compared to Colin and Aidan."

The youngest of three Scott brothers, Aidan, has missed the entire 2013 season, a run that has culminated in Denver's second Final Four appearance. He hasn't gone to the away games, but has been present at all but two practices and has traveled throughout the postseason. He'll be on the sidelines for Saturday's national semifinal against top-seeded Syracuse (5, ESPN2), sharing his insight with Colin, a senior who's finally healthy and one of Denver's top attackmen.

When Denver punched its first Final Four ticket in 2011, Colin was in Aidan's spot: relegated to the sidelines due to an early season meniscus tear in his left knee. He was on the bench as his Pioneers fell to Virginia, a perennial power led by his high school teammate, ex-Ridgefield All-American Matt White.

Two weeks after that Denver loss, Aidan tallied three goals as Ridgefield High rallied from a five-score deficit and stunned Fairfield Prep 11-10 for the Class LL title.

"It was great winning one with my brother," Aidan said, "and I was able to win one without him, too."

It's his preference, though, to be with Colin. Campus and program aside, it's why Aidan committed to Denver. His two older brothers -- Tyler (a 2007 Ridgefield graduate) and Colin (2009) -- grew up playing together, with Aidan always trying to keep up. Tyler went on to play hockey at the University of New Hampshire while Colin -- an All-American who racked up 85 points as a senior -- chose a Denver program with some question marks: The Pioneers had never won an NCAA tournament game, let alone reached a Final Four. And Jamie Munro, the coach who recruited Colin, resigned in May 2009.

Still, Colin remained firm in his commitment, and Aidan followed because "Colin taught me everything I know in lacrosse. I thought it would be best to keep playing with him."

When they were reunited in 2012, Colin was supposed to be healthy, fully recovered from the meniscus tear and ready to contribute to another Final Four run. He played seven games, but wasn't himself.

"I felt that my knee was completely fine and I still wasn't able to play as well as I know I could," Colin said. "It was the most frustrating part, not being able to do things I was capable of because of my knee."

Turns out Colin had two additional tears in that left knee. His cartilage was worn down, and another surgery was required.

"It definitely was hard (for him)," said his father, Daniel Scott. "Even this year, after two years of not playing, he felt like, `Gosh, can I become the player I was before?'"

Last weekend, with his family watching, Colin netted a pair of goals against North Carolina, the second of which cut the Tar Heels' lead to 11-10. Denver would add two more, solidifying its second Final Four appearance in three years.

And for once, Colin's been healthy. Regular training with a running coach "worked wonders." He's appeared in 17 games this year, nearly double his total from the past two seasons.

"You have to treat every game like you might be sitting out for the next couple," Colin said. "That's how I've taken this last year, not knowing how my knee would hold up or if I could make it through the whole season."

Aidan, meanwhile, is planning a comeback next fall. He's played in just three games during his two years in Denver, his 2013 campaign shut down after a concussion suffered in the preseason. Although he's clear of symptoms today, he is, as his dad said, "faced with the decision of whether he should (retire) or not."

Five concussions before a kid's 21st birthday will do that. Especially after the doctor told Aidan that he may have to consider stopping, a devastating proposition.

"I've thought about it -- when's the next one, what's going to happen?" Aidan said. "(My career) is up in the air if there is a next one. I don't really know because (lacrosse) has been my life forever. I try not to think about that."

"It's too depressing," he adds, laughing.

These days, he's in a new role -- one he learned from Colin. You see, when Colin sat for two years, he remained plugged in, studying the opposing goaltender from the sidelines and relaying tips to his fellow attackmen. This year, Aidan has done the same for Colin. It's not the most glamorous responsibility, but Aidan knows every bit of help matters.

"I try to do whatever I can," Aidan said.

He knows what's at stake this weekend: No team west of Syracuse has ever won the NCAA lacrosse title. Hell, no team west of Ithaca, N.Y., has ever made the final. In a sport entirely dominated by the East Coast, Denver -- with kids from Colorado, California, Minnesota, Texas, British Columbia and of course the Bubblewrap Bros -- has a chance to change the game.